Ring sight



cearlln (M 333-261. ("1R 290499496 SR Aug. 4, 1936. 4. P. GATY' 2 049,496

RING S IGHT Filed April 10, 1935 INVENTOR AT ORNEYS Patented Aug. 4, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RING SIGHT tion of New York Application April 10,

7 Claims.

This invention relates in general to sighting devices and more particularly to the construction of a rear ring sight.

It is conventional practice in the use of armament, particularly machine guns, to employ a rear ring sight and a bead sight located near the discharge end of the gun. The ring sight usually comprises two or more concentric circular rings joined together by cross pieces by welding or soldering. The purpose of the ring sight is to afford an added guide in sighting so as to give a moving target the required lead for a direct hit. The gunner estimates the plane and angular direction of travel of the moving target and points the gun ahead of the target in that plane. As soon as the target coincides with an appropriate point on one of the rings of the ring sight the gun is fired and the muzzle will thus be disposed properly to give the required lead for a direct hit of the moving target.

The same system of sighting means has also been employed in aerial photography. Cameras have been built to simulate the shape of a machine gun and mounted in a like manner on aircraft. The exposure taken by the camera forms a record as to the marksmanship of the photographer and his skill in handling the camera and his use of the sighting devices.

In the building of the actual rear ring sights, however, considerable difficulty has arisen in accurately positioning the inner rings with respect to the outer rings. It is obvious that a high degree of accuracy is necessary for proper results. Moreover, the usual cross pieces for holding the concentric rings in predetermined relationship are usually of very light metal, which is soldered or welded to the rings. This practice not only makes it difiicult to properly center the rings with respect to each other but also tends to make the composite structure susceptible to fracture, bending or displacement.

One of the objects of my invention, therefore, is to provide an improved simple process for assembling the concentrically disposed rings in predetermined proper relationship.

Another object is to so assemble the rings that they will be relatively free from the possibility of accidental misalignment during the use of the ring sight.

A further object is to provide a new and improved means of positioning the rings and holding them together by means of a continuous length of tough metallic wire threaded through the various concentric rings in such a manner as to resist fracture and misalignment.

1935, Serial No. 15,563

A still further object is to provide a ring sight with the necessary plurality of concentric sighting rings and with a relatively greater number of radiating spokes from the center ring in order to aid in the use of the ring sight.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, the invention resides in the combination of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter set forth in the following specification and appended claims, certain embodiments thereof being illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a view in elevation of the rear ring sight;

Figure 2 is a view in section taken along line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail view in section taken along line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a diagrammatical representation of a rear ring sight and a bead sight with an airplane target moving in a horizontal plane and at a direction at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the gun;

Figure 5 is a similar View to Figure 4 showing airplane targets moving at a forty-five degree angle with respect to the horizontal plane and at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the gun.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the ring sight comprises a large outer ring I, a small center ring 2 and an intermediate ring 3. It is essential that these rings should be concentrically arranged and not be susceptible to fracture or misalignment during its use. Instead of the usual practice of soldering cross pieces to the rings to unite them it is proposed to use tough metal wire for that purpose. At spaced intervals about the outer periphery of a lip 6 of ring I there may be provided arcuate grooves 4. At spaced intervals in the circumference of the ring 3 there may be provided holes, such as 5, extending therethrough. Formed in the inner circumference of a lip l of the inner ring 2 is a groove, such as 8. The wire is shown at W with its two terminals l0 and II. The terminal Il may be held stationary while the terminal is threaded in the open groove 4 past the left end of the lip 6 and then radially inwardly through the intermediate ring 3 and around the lip l3 of the inner ring from whence it is drawn radially outwardly through the intermediate ring and around the lip 9 of the outer ring. The drawing of the wire is continued, each time being drawn radially through the intermediate ring as the wire passes in succession about lips 9, l4, l0, l5, l2 and I6 in the order named and then back about the lip 5. When the wire is sufiiciently taut the pin I! may be driven into a suitable hole in the ring I so as to bridge the groove 4 and wedge the ends of the wire fixed in proper position. This provides vertical wire lengths l8 and is, horizontal wire lengths 20 and 2i and diagonal wire lengths 22, 23, 24 and 25 equidistantly between the horizontal and vertical wire lengths.

The ring sight is positioned at a convenient point near the rear of the gun or camera. The post 26 is secured to the gun and is provided with forks 21 and 28. The outer ring may be secured to a block 30 by means of bolts or rivets 32. The block is pivotally mounted between the forks by means of a pin 30'. Thus the ring sight may be raised to a vertical position for use or folded fiat on the gun when it is not being used and the spring 29 tends to maintain the sight in the adjusted position.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2 the inner ring 2 is centrally bored at I30 to provide a center sight or peep sight. The bevelled edges l3! and I3! are preferably slightly roughened so as to minimize the possibility of glare or light reflection that might interfere in sighting the gun or camera.

The tightly drawn tough metal wire is in the first place very resistant to fracture or bending. The method of assembly is extremely simple in its nature and actual accomplishment. Moreover, such a manner of assembly eliminates misalignment or improper disposition of the rings with respect to each other, both during and after assembly. As long as the wire is taut there can be no relative movement between the inner and outer ring inasmuch as the forces are equally divided radially about the inner ring. Likewise there can be no relative movement between the intermediate ring and the other rings. The wire fits closely in the holes in the ring 3 through which it passes.

To show the use of the conventional ring sight, a bead sight 34 is shown centered in the peep sight I30. When a target is stationary or travelling in a direction straight away from or toward the gun, the gun may be sighted by bringing the center of the peep hole I30 in alignment with the bead and target and a direct hit should be the result of the aim. When, however, the target is travelling in a direction at an angle to the line of fire of the gun, a certain amount of lead should be given the moving target.

The size of the rings are computed to a certain relative velocity of the target and is dependent upon two factors. These factors are the locations' of the bead sight and the rear or ring sight with respect to the position of the eye of the operator and the effective velocity of the projectile. The outer ring, for instance, may be designed to function as a 100 mile per hour sight and the intermediate ring a mile per hour sight, so as to provide a correct allowance for target velocity correction when the respective edges of the rings are used for sighting the gun at a target travelling at that speed and at right angles to the line of gun fire. The firing range of the gun is so short that the trajectory of the projectile may, for the present purposes, be considered fiat and the velocity thereof constant.

In Figure 4 a target is shown in the form of an airplane A, the vulnerable point or area to be hit being indicated at 36. The target is travelling in a direction at right angles to and in the same horizontal plane as the gun. The gun is pointed to assume a position horizontally ahead of the target, the operator using the radial wire length 2! as a guide so that the target will be moving in a direction parallel to a radial line extending from the outer ring to the peep sight. In this instance this radial line coincides with the radial wire length 2|. When the point 36 of the airplane target comes into alignment with the fixed eye and the outer ring the correct amount of lead is given the target and so the gun is properly fired. What actually happens is that the point 36 of the airplane target is later hit by the projectile when it comes in alignment with the eye, the peep sight and the bead sight.

However, the axis of travel of the target must be radial to the center of the ring in order to properly direct the bullet to intersect the target after both the bullet and target have moved along their respective paths to a common point. Thus the substantially greater number of radially extending wire lengths, not only vertical and horizontal, but intermediately diagonal as well, furnishes a considerable aid in sighting the moving target so that its movement will be radial with respect to the rings and toward the center peep sight.

As shown in Figure 5, the airplane target B is moving in a direction at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the gun and descending at an angle of forty-five degrees with respect to the horizontal plane.

Having determined the airplane target's direction of travel and angle of dive, the gun is positioned ahead of the airplane target B using the radial wire. length 22 as a guide to properly position the gun so that the movement of the target will be radial toward the peep sight, and when the point 44 of the target B reached a certain distance outside of the ring I, the aim is proper and the gun is fired. The result should be that the point 44 on the airplane target B is hit when it reaches a point in alignment with the peep sight and bead head. The dotted line 44 is an imaginary extension of the wire length 22. The point 44 of the airplane B is farther away from the peep sight than the point 36 of airplane A. This is because the airplane B is travelling at a greater speed than A because the former is diving, thus requiring a longer lead. The airplane C is shown travelling in exactly the opposite direction to airplane B. Thus the gun should be positioned ahead of airplane C, using the radial wire length 24 as a guide to position the gun in such a manner that the movement of the airplane C will be radial toward the center peep sight. It follows that, inasmuch as the airplane C is climbing, its speed will be diminished, and consequently a longer time will be consumed in airplane C reaching a point in alignment with the fixed eye and the bead centered in the peep sight than is the case of the airplanes A and B. Consequently the proper amount of lead is given and the gun is properly aimed to fire when the point 4'! of the airplane C reaches a certain distance inside ofthe outer ring instead of at the outer ring, as would be the case if firing at the airplane target A. The result of such aim at airplane C and the firing of the gun should be the hitting of the point 41 on the airplane C when it reaches a point of alignment with the fixed eye and the centered peep sight.

It is to be understood that the gun does not necessarily have to be positioned so as to cause the target airplane to move along a given radial wire length in the event that the relative movement of the target is at an angle not corresponding to the wire lengths. In any event the wire lengths aid in the positioning of the gun by acting as guides in positioning the gun.

The distance outside of the ring for a diving airplane target and the distance inside the ring for a climbing airplane target, at which the gunner should open fire is theoretically determined mathematically and actually by practice on the part of the gunner.

When the gun is adjustably carried by a moving base such as an airplane the bead sight is pivotally mounted in the form of the conventional wind vane sight to automatically correct the sighting to allow for the efiect that the movement of the base has on the trajectory of the projectile in carrying the latter forwardly at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the gun. In photographic target practice, however, the adjustable wind vane sight is unnecessary and the stationary bead sight in combination with the rear ring sight provides a sighting means, the accuracy of manipulation of which is photographically recorded by the camera upon exposure, the travel of light corresponding to the travel of the bullet being considered instantaneous.

It will be understood that any convenient number of concentric rings may be used and also any convenient number of radial lengths of wire.

The wire lengths and the rings in the embodiment shown provide tangible guide members and intersecting points to the extent of a forty-five degree measurement as distinguished from the usual ninety degree measurement. Any finer calculation of angles less than forty-five degrees and ninety degrees would have to be estimated by the eye on the ring sight unless it be considered advisable to provide more rings or wire lengths or both.

I claim:

1. In a ring sight, a plurality of concentrically disposed rings the innermost of which comprises a peep sight, flexible means for rigidly securing and maintaining all of said rings in predetermined spaced relationship, said flexible means comprising a wire, said wire being taut and looped alternately about circumferentially spaced portions of said inner ring and spaced portions of said outer ring.

2. In a ring sight, inner and outer concentrically disposed rings, flexible means for securing said rings in predetermined spaced relationship, said flexible means comprising a wire, said outer ring being provided at spaced intervals with arcuate exteriorly grooved lips and said inner ring being provided at spaced intervals with arcuate lips in staggered relation to those of the outer ring and provided with grooves in their centrally disposed surface, each end of a lip forming a pair with an end of a lip on the other ring, an intermediate ring with holes therein each in radial alignment with a respective pair of ends of said lips, said wire being passed in the grooves alternately of said inner and outer rings and through the holes of said intermediate ring.

3. In a ring sight an outer ring and an inner peep sight ring with a central bore, an intermediate ring, said rings being concentrically arranged and in the same plane, said intermediate ring being of predetermined diameter so as to provide for a predetermined spaced relationship between said rings, said rings having circumferentially spaced guide ways and a flexible connecting and supporting element alternately enaging said guide ways in non-intersecting relationship with the bore of said peep sight for rigidly securing and maintaining said rings in said predetermined spaced relationship.

4. In a ring sight, an outer ring and an inner ring, said inner ring being of substantially smaller diameter than said outer ring and comprising a centrally apertured peep sight, means for maintaining said rings concentrically disposed and in the same plane but without obstructing the aperture of said peep sight, said outer ring having circumferentially spaced exteriorly grooved portions and said inner ring having circumferentially spaced interiorly grooved portions, said means comprising a flexible wire alternately looped about said spaced portions of said exteriorly grooved ring and the interiorly grooved portions of said inner ring.

5. In a ring sight, an outer ring and an inner peep sight ring, an intermediate ring, means for rigidly securing and maintaining all of said rings in concentric relationship and in the same plane, said inner ring being provided with circumferentially spaced interiorly grooved portions and said outer ring being provided with circumferentially spaced exteriorly grooved portions, said intermediate ring being of predetermined diameter and provided with guide ways in radial alignment with a respective pair of ends of said interior and exterior grooves in said inner and outer rings, said means comprising a flexible wire alternately engaging said inner and outer grooves and also engaging said guide ways in said intermediate ring so as to predeterminedly fix and maintain said relationship between all of said rings.

6. In a ring sight, a plurality of concentrically disposed rings the innermost of which comprises a peep sight with a central bore, flexible fastening and supporting means engaging said rings in non-intersecting relationship with the bore of said peep sight for rigidly securing and maintaining all of said rings in predetermined spaced relationship and comprising the sole means for supporting all of the sight rings from the outermost ring.

7. In a ring sight, an outer ring, an inner peep sight ring, an intermediate ring, flexible means under tension extending radially of said outer ring connected to said peep sight ring in non-intersecting relationship with the opening therein and providing a means for the transfer of tension forces circumferentially of said peep sight ring for rigidly supporting said peep sight ring in concentric relationship to said outer ring, said flexible means also constituting the means for suspending said intermediate ring in predetermined spaced relationship with said outer ring and said peep sight ring.

JOHN P. GATY. 

